SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It was a multi-faceted victory Saturday for the Santa Clara University baseball team, as the Broncos hit three home runs, played clean, fundamental defense and received several efficient pitching performances in a 4-2 West Coast Conference series-clinching win over LMU at Stephen Schott Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• LMU (8-22, 0-5 WCC) threatened first Saturday, drawing two leadoff walks in the second inning. That also marked Santa Clara's first defensive test. Johnny Luetzow gunned down the lead runner on a double steal, and two pitches later the Broncos (11-14, 2-3 WCC) cut down the runner from second attempting to advance on a ground ball to shortstop, turning a two-on, no-outs situation into two outs with only a runner on first.
   
• The defense shut down LMU's final threat in the ninth as well. Hunter Hargett entered after another leadoff walk — the last of three issued by the Broncos — and induced a rally-ending double play. Will Anderson made a leaping grab and swiping tag at first to end the game, keeping Santa Clara errorless for the 14th time this season.
   
• Tate Medicoff homered for the second time in four games to give Santa Clara a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, adding to the defensive effort that kept LMU off the board in the top half. Mateo Garcia and Waylon Walsh followed with back-to-back solo home runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 4-1. It marked Walsh's second straight game with a homer after hitting the first of his career Friday.
   
• Santa Clara received four strong outings on the mound. Starter Jackson Cook went three innings and allowed one run on two hits, lowering his season ERA by more than half a run. Josh Johnson (1-0) earned the win, following with two shutout, hitless innings and three strikeouts. Cooper Lanz lowered his ERA by nearly two runs with three innings of one-hit relief, allowing only a solo home run to Zach Wadas — his second in as many games in the series — in the sixth to make it 4-2. Hargett secured his third save of the year, throwing just five pitches.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 11 1/3: Johnson hasn't allowed an earned run in 11 1/3 innings pitched this season. Only one unearned run scored against him on March 14 versus Utah Tech, giving him an active 5 1/3 scoreless innings streak.
• 24: Ben Cleary notched an RBI infield single in the third to put Santa Clara ahead, 2-1, and extend his reached base safely streak to 24 games. It also extended his hitting streak to nine games, during which he's hitting .448 with four multi-hit performances.

COMING UP

• The series finale is scheduled for noon Sunday at Schott Stadium. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.